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V.S.O.P. #135 THE STACY ROWLES QUINTET "LULLABY OF THE LEAVES"
featuring: Stacy Rowles, fluegelhorn, trumpet, vocals David Angel, baritone sax, soprano sax Charlie Meyerson, guitar Carl Rigoli, drums Bob Seravia, Louis Spears, bass
Recorded in 1989 in Los Angeles, CA
1. Lullaby of the Leaves (J. Young, B. Petkere) 6:44 2. In A Mellow Tone (Duke Ellington) 9:38 3. June Night (A. Baer, C. Friend) 4:35 4. Weaver of Dreams (Young, Eliot) 6:10 5. Minor March (Jackie McLean) 5:30 6. Bluesette (Toots Thielemans) 5:34 7. Baby, Don't Quit Now (J. Rowles, J. Mercer) 4:08 8. 'Tis Autumn (Henry Nemo) 6:13 9. Song For My Lady (McCoy Tyner) 7:32 10. Old Folks (W. Robison, D. L. Hill) 6:31 11. It's You or No One (J. Styne, S. Cahn) 5:43 12. Here's That Rainy Day (Burke, Van Heusen) 5:09
Liner Notes:
A talented flugelhornist, trumpeter and vocalist, Stacy Rowles always put a lot of honest feeling and heart into her playing and singing. She made a strong impression in the jazz world during her life but, 13 years after her death, she is in danger of being forgotten. Always a bit shy to record, she only appeared on 18 albums in her career including four that were guest appearances. During a time period when the world is full of young virtuoso jazz artists who play high-powered solos and often-dissonant originals, her gentle and melodic soloing is considered by some to be out of vogue. The release of Lullaby Of The Leaves, a quintet set that has gone unheard since it was recorded in 1989, is therefore a major event and a good excuse to revisit the music of Stacy Rowles. She was born on Sept. 11, 1955 in Los Angeles, the daughter of the masterful jazz pianist Jimmy Rowles. She played the piano a bit from age six and spent a little time on other instruments without much success. But, as she said during an interview with me in 2001 for my book Trumpet Kings, “When I was 12, I found my Dad’s Army trumpet in his dresser. I stole it, honked on it, and then asked Dad how you play it!” Rowles studied music with Charlie Shoemake, developed steadily as a teenager, and played with her father at the 1973 Monterey Jazz Festival. The young trumpeter and flugelhornist gigged in the Los Angeles area and worked in an all-female big band led by Clark Terry in 1975. Betty O’Hara, a talented swing-based brass specialist who played trombone, euphonium and cornet in addition to singing, was an inspiration and mentor. Rowles and O’Hara worked together in Ann Patterson’s Maiden Voyage (an impressive all-female big band that never recorded) and O’Hara’s Jazz Birds. Stacy Rowles made her recording debut in 1981 with the Mary Watkins Big Band. She played on two songs on an album by Stix Hooper the following year, and guested on two of her father’s records in 1985 and with Frank Mantooth (2002). As a sideperson she can be heard at greater length on records by Nels Cline (1987), the Ben Slujis Quartet in Belgium (1991), an Eric Von Essen tribute project (1999), and with singers Frank J. Melville (1990), Elizabeth Caumont (1990), Norma Winstone (1993), Julie Kelly (2000), Liz Kinnon (2006-07), and John Vance (2007). Best among her recordings are four albums that she made with her father. She led Tell It Like It Is (1984) and Me And The Moon (1993), father and daughter were co-leaders on Looking Back (1988), and the pianist headed Sometimes I’m Happy, Sometimes I’m Blue (1988). Jimmy Rowles passed away in 1996 at the age of 77. Stacy Rowles worked steadily (although recording very infrequently) during the next 13 years. She said in that same 2001 interview: “I was blessed to be born into a family of very talented people. I would like to carry on the blessing, in my own way, and do the best I can to play the music our family loves.” She died on Oct. 27, 2009 at the age of 54 from injuries suffered in a car accident two weeks earlier. Back in 1989, Stacy Rowles teamed up with saxophonist David Angel, guitarist Charlie Meyerson, Bob Seravia or Louis Spears on bass (they played on one session apiece), and drummer Carl Rigoli to perform the music heard on Lullaby Of The Leaves. David Angel is a veteran bandleader, multireedist, arranger, composer, and educator who wrote music for quite a few television shows and movies. In addition to leading his own big band (including the recent three-CD set put out by VSOP, Out On The Coast), he made just a handful of small group sessions. Angel recorded on alto and clarinet with Blue Mitchell (1973), on tenor and clarinet for a date led by Carl Rigoli (who was featured on vibraphone), and baritone with the Mark Halper Quintet, a group that included pianist Frank Strazzeri and Stacy Rowles. The saxophonist remembers Rowles with affection. “We played many gigs together as a quintet in little clubs and that’s when I really got to know her. I loved her sincerity. She was the real thing. That’s always a rare quality in music. Today there are a lot of 19-year old virtuosos coming out of jazz schools but they don’t have the feeling that she had. They should all hear this recording.” Lullaby Of The Leaves came about when Paul and Marsha Seacord met Stacy Rowles, admired her playing, and set up a recording date for her. “Stacy was always a little reluctant, so they asked me if I would run the show,” recalls Angel. “She picked most of the tunes and I chose a couple. Paul and Marsha knew the rhythm players as did I.” Guitarist Charlie Meyerson, bassist Bob Seravia, and drummer Carl Rigoli all had been part of with Angel’s big band since earlier in the 1970s while Angel had worked with Louis Spears in a quintet for a couple of years. “Usually I played tenor around this time but for this recording I played baritone. I was playing the baritone chair in a group called the Saxtet which had six saxophones. I really liked the sound of the flugelhorn and the baritone together.” While the combination of instruments and the cool-toned and relaxed style is at times reminiscent of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Chet Baker, Angel says “It wasn’t intentional and we did not try to sound like Gerry Mulligan’s group. We just walked in the studio, got all of the music together, and simply played.” That sure sounds simple, but playing music with the subtlety, taste and solid swing that is heard throughout this album is not quite that easy, or very common. “Lullaby Of The Leaves” begins the program with a warm melody statement and solo from Stacy Rowles while accompanied by rhythm guitar, bass, and drumming that is felt more than heard. Concise guitar and bass solos precede a fine spot by Angel and the two horns split the closing melody. Duke Ellington’s “In A Mellotone” has plenty of interplay between Rowles and Angel including exciting ensembles during the final two choruses. Obviously the musicians were not only familiar with each other’s playing during this era but thoroughly enjoyed performing together. “June Night” has the first of Stacy Rowles’ vocals. Her relaxed phrasing, use of space, cool tone, and celebration of the melody in her singing are at times similar to Chet Baker’s but she also infuses the music with her own personality. “A Weaver Of Dreams” builds up gradually. The closing melody statement (with the horns harmonizing behind each other) and their joint playing on the vamp are highlights. Jackie McLean’s “Minor March” receives a welcome revival and has a fine tradeoff with Rigoli. Toots Thielemans’ famous “Bluesette” benefits from being taken at a slower pace than normal; this quietly emotional version is particularly memorable. Jimmy Rowles’ “Baby, Don’t Quit Now,” which his daughter sings, is a fun if obscure song. The classic ballad “’Tis Autumn” begins and ends with Angel making warm statements on baritone, making one regret that this is one of his very few recording sessions on the big instrument. Thielemans’ joyful “Song For My Lady” has Angel switching to soprano and successfully blending in well with Rowles’ flugelhorn despite their similar registers. Rowles sings “Old Folks” with a great deal of warmth and feeling; her father would have enjoyed this version. The quintet cooks during a happily loose jam session version of “It’s You Or No One,” before the memorable outing concludes with a rendition of “Here’s That Rainy Day” that benefits from being transformed from a slow ballad into a medium-tempo swinger. The very best jazz recordings are timeless and sound fresh even with the passing of decades. This album would have been considered a notable release if it had been recorded in 2023; it certainly does not sound 33 years old. Lullaby Of The Leaves serves as a perfect reminder of the special talent of Stacy Rowles.
Scott Yanow, jazz historian and author of 12 books including Life Through The Eyes Of A Jazz Journalist
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